Starching mechanism



Dec. 3, 1940. w. B. HUTCHINGS 2,224,019

STARCHING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS. INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Filed Sept. 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R s MW n N N E R w m T IH\QA w MW 3 W n W Y B a 5 as as 3.7 2

Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STARCHING DIECHANISM New York Application September 20, 1937, Serial No. 164,617

10 Claims.

This invention relates to the starching of garments and mechanism for use in starching garm'ents. In the machine shown in the drawings the garment, in a vertical plane, is immersed in liquid starch, and is then immediately placed under pressure as it is withdrawn from the liquid starch. To effectively, easily, and quickly carry out this process of starching garments I have constructed a machine consisting of two rubber rolls constantly pressed tightly together and free to rotate; the one roll being driven to rotate first in one direction and then in the reverse direction, the other roll being driven by frictional contact with the driven roll also to rotate first in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

The mechanism for feeding the garments between said two rolls is novel and provides for reversing the rotation of the rolls when any object thicker than is desired approaches the two rolls. This mechanism is provided with a safety device so that the operator or any other person cannot place the fingers in a dangerous position. The rolls are preferably driven by electric motor power and are made of rubber. When the machine is in normal operation the rolls are constantly rotating in one direction or the other and are tightly pressed together preferably by a spring the pressure of which can be relieved when the machine is not in use, and means of course is provided to shut off the electric motor when the machine is not in use. v

To describe the machine used to carry out the process I have illustrated the same on the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the complete machine; Fig. 2 is a plan view of,same with the top cover removed; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a detail view partly diagrammatical showing the safety device to prevent harm to an individual.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings 5 is the outer case or cabinet which is shown provided with suitable castors 6, and with a cover 1. The cover 1 is provided with a hood 8 which is hinged to the cover at 9 so that its free front edge can be lifted at will. The cover 1 is also provided with an operating lever III a short distance in front of the hood 8 and above the top of the cover and which is pivoted to the under side of, the cover. The ends of the lever III are bent down and extend through holes provided therefor in the cover. Two rubber wringer rollers II and I2 are pivoted to the frame of the case '5 and have their upper sides about in the same plane as the top of cover 1. The bearings of roller II are rigidly secured to the frame I3 by suitable bolts I4, and the bearings of roller I2 are mounted to slide in the frame I3 toward and away from the bearings of roller II. A suitable cross brace I5 is rigidly secured to frame I3 by bolts I3 and has a hole in its center into which is threaded a screw I1, one end of which bears against the center of a leaf spring I8 whose ends bear against the movable bearings of rubber roller I2. The other end of screw I1 is provided with a handle l9 outside the case 5. The screw I1 extends through a hole in the case 5 and is provided with a shoulder 20 which serves as a stop against the cross bar I5 so that the screw I 1 cannot be turned in too far.

Loosely pivoted in the hood 8 is a roller 2| which normally supports the free edge of the hood. The roller 2I is spool-shaped, having the greater portion of its middle reduced to a smaller diameter and only the larger portion at each end of this roller rests or rolls on the roller II. The cut-out middle portion of the roller 2| determines how far said middle portion is from the roller I I and also determines how thick a piece of goods or other article can pass between roller II and roller 2| without lifting the hood 3. Hence if a persons finger is placed between said two rollers II and. 2| the hood 8 will be lifted up about its pivot 9. The front portion of the hood 8 where the garments are fed in is preferably provided with a rigid shield 22 at each end to prevent any portion of the garment coming in contact with the ends of the roller II while the same is being fed into the machine. A fixed guide back of the reduced-diameter portion of roll 2| aids in directing the work downwardly between the rolls II and I2.

One end of the shaft of roller II extends through its bearing and has rigidly secured thereon a small sprocket 23 connected by an endless chain 24 to the sprocket 25 of a reduction gear box 26 whose fast running shaft carries the rigid pulley 21. The customary loose pulleys 28 are pivotally mounted adjacent the pulley 21 over which the belts pass when not on the pulley 21. Two belts 29 and 30 extend from pulleys 21 and 28 to pulleys 3| and 32 which are rigid on the same shaft with pulley 33. A belt 34 connects pulley 33 with pulley 35 of electric motor 36. The belt shifting lever 31 is mounted to slide below the gear box 26 and has rigidly secured to its one end the rod 38 carrying on its free end the two adjustable stops 39 and 40 which are pro erly positioned and then held in such position by set screws or otherwise. The extreme free end of the rod 38 is connected to the frame of the case 5 by a coiled contracting spring 4! to cause sufflcient friction between the shifting lever 31 and its bearing to hold the same in any position it is moved to.

The shifting lever 31 is moved from one position to the other to shift belts 29 and 30 by the operator pulling the lever I0 forward or pushing said lever backward about its pivot. One downwardly bent end 42 of operating lever I0 is made sufficiently long to extend between the two stops 38 and 48 on rod 38, and as rod I0 is moved forward, to the left as seen in Fig. 3, the shifting lever 31 is moved to the right and as rod I8 is moved backward, to the right as seen in Fig. 3, the shifting lever 31 is moved to the left. The several parts are so arranged that when the operating rod I0 is pulled forward rubber roller vII will turn clockwise as seen in Fig. 3, and when rod I0 is moved back towards hood 8 the roller II will rotate counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 3.

Suitable starch containers 43, 44 and 45 are arranged in a tray 46 having a handle 41. The tray 46 is arranged to slide into a closed compartment 48 rigidly secured to the case 5 and provided with an open slot below the junction of rollers H and I2.

The free end of the hood 8 is made to depress a small rod 49 extending a short distance above the cover 1 and yieldingly held up by a spring 50 as seen in Fig. 4. The rod 49 is rigid with lever 5i pivotally mounted at 52 on a bracket 53 rigid with the frame of case 5. As seen in Fig. 4, the lever 5| carries a mercury switch 54 making or breaking contact between the wires 55 and 56 extending from the switch 51 located at some convenient place on case 5 to motor 36. The usual wires 58 and 59 extend from the switch 51 to a source of power.

In operation, after the switch 51 is turned to start the motor 36 the operator observes that rod I0 is in a backward position which will rotate roller ll counterclockwise. The garment is fed in until it touches the roller II; the lever or operating handle I8 is then pulled forward or to the left as seen in Fig. 3, which rotates roller ll clockwise and feeds the garment down into the starch in one of the containers 43, 44 or 45; when the garment has been fed in a suflicient distance the operator pushes the rod in back or to the right as seen in Fig. 3, which causes roller i l to turn counterclockwise and feeds the garment out from the starch. Thus the operation is repeated. It will be noted that the rubber rollers II and I2 are continually forced together under tension of spring I8 and therefore the garments are fed into the starch under pressure and are withdrawn from the starch under pressure.

Should a large bunch of a garment or any person's hand be fed into the machine at any time the roller 2| will be lifted up and since said roller is pivotally mounted in the hood 8 the hood will be lifted up about its hinges 8 and the small rod 48 will be released to permit spring 50 to swing mercury switch 54 on its pivot and break the connection between the conductors 55 and 58 thus stopping the motor 36.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, two rollers constantly pressed together, meansfor rotating said rollers first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, a third roller resting by gravity on one of said two rollers having the greater center portion of reduced diameter. a switch to control the operation of said tw's rollers and means whereby said switch will be operated by said third roller being lifted.

2. In a device of the class described, rotatable driven rollers between which the work is fed, a movable hood over said rollers and carrying a third roller, and means operated by lifting the hood for stopping the driven rollers.

3. In a device of the class dwcribed, rotatable driven rollers between which the work is fed, a movable hood over said rollers and carrying a third roller, a motor driving the rotatable rollers and a switch controlling said motor and operated by-lifting the hood for stopping the driven rollers.

4. A starching machine comprising a. starch container, rollers yieldingly pressed together above said container, a motor, means for driving the rollers from the motor, manually-controlled means for reversing the direction the rollers are driven by said driving means, and means for guiding work between said rollers, said guiding means being connected to stop the rollers upon the approach of an article of unusual thickness.

5. A starching machine comprising a starch container, rollers yieldingly pressed together above said container, a motor, means for drivin the rollers from the motor, manually-controlled means for reversing the direction the rollers are driven by said driving means, and means for guiding work between said rollers, said guiding means including a hood pivotally mounted above said rollers and carrying a third roller resting by gravity on one of the first rollers.

6. A starching machine comprising a starch container, rollers yieldingly pressed together above said container, a motor, means for driving the rollers from the motor, manuallycontrolled means for reversing the direction the rollers are driven by said driving means, and means for guiding work between said rollers, said guiding means including a hood pivotally mounted above said rollers and carrying a third roller resting by gravity on one of the first rollers, together with means operated by separation of the third roller and said one of the first named rollers beyond a predetermined amount to stop said yieldingly-pressed rollers.

7. A starching machine comprising a, casing, a plurality of starch containers arranged in said casing for movement as a unit, feed rollers above said unit below which the containers can be brought selectively by moving said unit, and manually-controlled means for reversibly driving said rollers.

8. A starching machine comprising a casing, a plurality of starch containers arranged in said casing for movement as a unit, feed rollers above said unit below which the containers can be brought selectively by moving said unit, manually-controlled means for reversibly driving said rollers, a. swinging guard above the rollers lifted by the approach of an article of unusual thickness, and means operated by lifting the guard for stopping the rollers.

9. A starching machine comprising a casing, a plurality of starch containers arranged in said casing for movement as a unit, feed rollers above said unit below which the containers can be brought selectively by moving said unit,

manually-controlled means for reversibly driving said rollers, a guard above the rollers carrying a. third roller resting by gravity on one of the first rollers and lifted by the approach of an article of unusual thickness, and means operated by lifting the third roller for stopping the feed rollers.

10. A machine having spring-pressed driven rollers, a guard mounted above the rollers and having a third roller resting by gravity on one of the first rollers, and means actuated by lifting the third roller for stopping the driven rollers. 5

WALTER B. HUTCHINGS. 

